Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1887-03-09
SHILOH'S BEGINNING.
A GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF THE
FEoERALs IN CAMP.

A Quiet Evening and q Glorious Dawn
At $50 In the Morning-A Sharp
Musketry Firs-Ths Battle Begun
Surprised.
EARLY on Saturday, April s, 1862, we
pAsssd Savannah, the headquarters Of the
general commanding; at noon we made
Test to Pittsburg Landing. About an
hour afterward we landed, or rather
marched up the steep bluff, and encamped
200 feet south of the landing. Four COM
panies, with our ammunition and tents,
were sent forward to the advance of the
whole army, extreme left of Pentiss' di-
vision. l was appointed Immediately
'officer of the day" of the remaining six.
This was our first day upon the soil of
Tennessee.
Soon as we had selected our quarters"
upon the smooth grass, with the fair
blue sky overhead, we set about getting
something to eat and drink. The night
soon fell and, as its shades began to creep
from the east. the merry. soldiers near the
landing departed for their respective regi-
ments; the stove was closed; the suffers
under canvas let down "the flies" and
covered up their truck; the men riding
horses trotted into the budding woods;
the shades grew. nearer, but all was
quiet, save an occasional shot to the
southwest. This. and only this, broke
the stiffness OF the early evening Of the
eve Of the battle of Shiloh.
Not q sound Of battle upon the air, no
vision of to-morrow's strife mingled with
the first slumbers of the Union thou
sands as they gathered their blankets
around than onH aank into Cnnfh-
ing sleep on the night of the 5th of April,
1862. In the morning the rustling of
harness, the patter of the mules indicated
that those useful, hardy animals were re-
freshed; yet the darkness was still in
tense
GLORIOUS DAWN.
A loud whinny from big gray horse
belonging TO one of our field officers
startled me. jumped up, and there be-
yOnd the Tennessee ! beheld as glorious a
dawn as ever mortal eyes beheld. In
few moments the sun rose over the dusky
landscape and rent the network of night
Birds twittered and sang in the recesses
OF the ash and the e.ms; the camp was
awakening-ah! Lilly Burke climbs into
wagon a little distance to the south
ward, and with his polished copper bugle
sounds the reveille as it was never heard
before in the army Of the Tennessee. The
last notes of the bugle had scarcely rolled
away in grand reyerberations when the
thud of dozen axes were heard prepar-
ing fuel for the matutinal meal Six
hundred men making their toilet al fresco
was curious scene. 1t was the first
time they had to sleep upon the ground
and "dress" in public. Alas! 1t was the last
night and first uf more than a score of
these jocund hearts, who kept bantering
each other upon the mirror he was using,
the kind of soap he had and the scent of
the oil he put into his hair.
It was fully $50 o'clock in the M orning
when we set out toward our camp. We |
didn't know where it lay. We didn't ask |
many questions about it as we briskly |
marched alongt through Hurlbuts division |
The boys were making al fresco toillettes; |
the camp kettles hung over thousand |
fires and the veterans" crowded to the |
end of their company streets" and
fraternally gave The newcomers |
warm welcome by clapping of |
hands, and the usual inquiry: "What |
regiment?" What state?" Bully for |
your etc. But no preparation to repel an |
enemy. We had barely cleared the line |
of tents when a sharp musketry fire was |
heard on our right. "Skirmishing," was |
the remark A laugh followed. We con-
tinued onward; we saw number of tents |
through the trees to our right; more on |
our left Filing abruptly from the road |
to the left we entered a pretty piece of I'M |
dulating land and soon after halted upon |
the ridge of an orchard, at the base of |
which bright stream ran gurgling to |
the river.
THE BATTLE BEGUN
Again the muskets rang out. The gen.
erals horse reared and almost threw the
rider, who slightly changed color as he
firmly held the reins and guided the
frightened animal, which Immediately
dashed into the thicket on the right, fol-
lowed by the aide-de-camp. He was Ben
Prentiss, of Quincy, Ills.
The general had hardly gone 100 yards
when the "skirmishing" and the
picket firing" burst into a ter
rife roar Of cannon. We were about
to pitch our tents, when from the woods
on the other side of the stream a volley
came over our heads which sounded like
the whirring Of partridge We heard no
shot in our immediate front. We saw no
one. To fall In, take our muskets and re-
tire by the left flank down a ravine and
ascend into an opening was the work of a
few moments.
The battle Of Shiloh had begun. About
O'Clock p. m, after a long tramp in the
sun, we moved forward and halted. Am
balances passed us with their freight of
human suffering, and blood oozing from
the floor joints. Forward and halt
again for the order. Still the guns thun-
dered and the wounded were borne past
us pale and powerless, but tenderly cared
for by all. Forward once more Halt
and lie dow. a sudden solley on our left
found its way to our, front. In an instant
we were on our feet The first man to
fall was the color bearer, but he rallied
on the instant, while the blood from his
forehead tiuged the flag he held with an
iron grip. He was carried to the rear
after being relieved. In front and flank
the enemy poured q brisk fire into our
ranks which cut us down by the score. 1t
was breckenridge brigade against reg
iment. A battery on our right opened on
the enemy, but he steadily advanced,
while we sullenly retired, badly ham
mered it is true, with the red flag of a
louisiana regiment in advance, whose
bearer seemed to have a charmed life
Near this place and about this time of the
day Gen. Albert Sidney johnson fell
mortally wounded. We were the last
troops brought into line of battle on the
left on the first day.-Ex-Consul Terrell
In Philadelphia Times
An Original Interpretation. !
An original Interpretation was made by +
an Albany coroner. Witness said: "He 1